I just found out earlier today (right before I had to go to work) that this Thursday June 29 His Eminence ALEXIOS shall ordain me to the Diaconate of the Holy Orthodox Church.

I am in need of all of your prayers, since of all the potential candidates of the Diaconate in the history of the Church, I know I am the most unworthy. Please pray for me between now and especially on that fateful morning, that when the Holy Spirit does descend upon me, He truly does strengthen that which is weak within me.

In case anyone wants to attend, the ordination will be in Savannah, GA as part of their 100th anniversary of the parish. Please feel free to come! I know there will be a luncheon served at the parish, but that is part of their anniversary celebrations and so I am in the awkward position of inviting people to an ordination yet not having the ability to feed them. Please accept my apologies!

May the Lord remember your Deaconate and Priesthood in His Kingdom, Always!

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"O Cross of Christ, all-holy, thrice-blessed, and life-giving, instrument of the mystical rites of Zion, the holy Altar for the service of our Great Archpriest, the blessing - the weapon - the strength of priests, our pride, our consolation, the light in our hearts, our mind, and our steps"Met. Meletios of Nikopolis & Preveza, from his ordination.

ÃƒÆ’Ã…Â½ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬ ÃƒÆ’Ã…Â½Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â¾ÃƒÆ’Ã…Â½Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â¹ÃƒÆ’Ã…Â½Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â¿ÃƒÆ’Ã‚ÂÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…Â¡! You'll be in our prayers here on the holy hill.

You know, only in the GOA can one attend the ordination of a red-blooded American family man (veteran and former firefighter), by the laying on of hands of a former Athonite monk (now Metropolitan Archbishop of the Ecumenical Patriarchate), in one of the leading cities of the former Confederacy, during the 100-year anniversary celebration of that town's Greek Orthodox parish, which parish now has a Romanian priest at its helm!

God bless you!

(It'll be great. They speak Greek down there with a southern drawl! Seriously!)

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But for I am a man not textueel I wol noght telle of textes neuer a deel. (Chaucer, The Manciple's Tale, 1.131)

Axios! Axios! Axios!Chris, definetely you are in my prayers! Kyrie Eleison! Lord, have mercy! Congratulations! You are more then worthy! You are a great Christian. I admire of your wonderful spirituality and brilliant erudition.Axios!

Thank you all for your prayers! They helped sustain me through that day, which was wonderful and humbling, as well as my first Liturgies. I like to think that those praying with me were helping to guide me that first time I went out the Deacon's Door for the petitions.

Please keep praying for me, though, as on July 23rd His Eminence ALEXIOS shall ordain me to the Holy Priesthood at Holy Trinity-Holy Cross Cathedral in Birmingham, AL:

ÃƒÆ’Ã…Â½ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã‹Å“ÃƒÆ’Ã…Â½Ãƒâ€¦Ã‚Â¾ÃƒÆ’Ã…Â½ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚Â¢ÃƒÆ’Ã…Â½Ãƒâ€¦Ã‚Â¸ÃƒÆ’Ã…Â½Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â£! ÃƒÆ’Ã…Â½Ãƒâ€¦Ã‚Â¡ÃƒÆ’Ã…Â½ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã‹Å“ÃƒÆ’Ã…Â½ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚Â¢ ÃƒÆ’Ã…Â½Ãƒâ€š ÃƒÆ’Ã…Â½ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã‹Å“ÃƒÆ’Ã…Â½Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ÂÃƒÆ’Ã…Â½Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â¤ÃƒÆ’Ã…Â½ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã‹Å“ ÃƒÆ’Ã…Â½ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã‹Å“ÃƒÆ’Ã…Â½Ãƒâ€¦Ã‚Â¾ÃƒÆ’Ã…Â½ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚Â¢ÃƒÆ’Ã…Â½Ãƒâ€¦Ã‚Â¸ÃƒÆ’Ã…Â½Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â£!Worthy! and may you always be worthy!

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If you're living a happy life as a Christian, you're doing something wrong.

Finally, please also pray for my family as we now start to move to our new home city and the parish I'll be serving in: Birmingham.

I'm excited for you and your family. The Cathedral looks like an excellent assignment, from which you'll learn much and deepen your pastoral gifts. (I'd like to see the daycare program expand into an Orthodox kindergarten!).

You and your family continue to be in our thoughts and prayers.

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But for I am a man not textueel I wol noght telle of textes neuer a deel. (Chaucer, The Manciple's Tale, 1.131)

What an exciting event for you and your family. I am in the Chicago area and if I ever make it to Birmingham I will try to visit that parish.It sounds like they will be very blessed to have you.Godspeed-peace and prayers!